Sample supplier report · October 21, 2026

US support for body-in-white welding robots

Which robot makers have the best US support for a body-in-white welding line?” Assumed: any volumeThe buyer’s question, as they typed it. Assumed: Assumed: any volume.

The answer

Send the RFQ to FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa and Lincoln Electric Automation; 12 questions to settle first. FANUC provides sales, service, support and training across the US from Rochester Hills, with 24/7 service. ABB has agreed to sell its robotics business to SoftBank, with closing expected in the second half of 2026. Get written US service terms first.

The shortlist

Rank	Supplier	Role	Where	Score
1	FANUC America	Lead	Rochester Hills, MI	18 / 20
2	ABB	Second source	—	17 / 20
3	Yaskawa Motoman	Fallback	Miamisburg, OH	15 / 20
4	KUKA Robotics	Watch	United States	13 / 20
5	Lincoln Electric Automation	Fallback	Cleveland, OH	13 / 20

Scorecard, criterion by criterion

Criterion	FANUC	ABB	Yaskawa	KUKA	Lincoln Electric Automation
US service ×2Your ask	8	6	6	4	4
BIW spot welding ×2Your ask	6	8	6	8	6
US plants	4	3	3	1	3
Total of 20	18	17	15	13	13

Points as weighted: the buyer’s asks count double where marked. A dash means nothing published backs a score, so it isn’t counted as zero.

The suppliers

FANUC America

Lead · Rochester Hills

It has the clearest evidence of US service and the largest Michigan footprint among the suppliers checked. Provides sales, service, support and training across the US from Rochester Hills. Runs a 132,000 sq ft training academy in Auburn Hills.

ABB

Second source

It has the strongest body-in-white references and a long US robotics base. Its BIW workstation at GAC Motor puts out a body every 46 seconds. Has made robots in the US since buying Cincinnati Milacron’s robotics business in 1990.

Yaskawa Motoman

Fallback · Miamisburg

It is a US-based robot supplier with a spot welding range and new US investment. Plans to invest $200 million in the US. Its robots cover spot welding and arc welding.

Key findings

The US supply base: $12.8 US imports of this robot family, 2025 (customs value).
KUKA names the most customers (6); ABB next (4).
Changes to watch at five suppliers.

Settle these before you send the RFQ

Q1Confirm in writing: Strong US service and support.
Q2Ask every bidder for the floor area of the plant that would build the order.
Q3Ask every bidder for its sites in the US, by city.
Q4Get 24/7 service response times and field technician coverage near the buyer’s plant in writing. (FANUC)
Q5Ask for a quality certificate for ABB Robotics, and how US service continues after the SoftBank sale. (ABB)
Q6Back up the claim of the industry’s broadest service network with US technician and depot counts. (ABB)
Q7Ask for an ISO 9001 certificate covering the Motoman robotics division, and US BIW references. (Yaskawa)
Q8Confirm the headcount at the plant that would build the order. (KUKA)
Q9Ask for US service staff, spare parts stock and any procurement limits linked to Midea ownership. (KUKA)

How the research was done

46 found → 39 fit the brief → 20 researched → 5 ranked. Every score in the full report links to the page it came from, and the open questions are written out for the RFQ.

Sources

Read the full report

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